11 April 2010

Makin a list, checkin it twice...

getting ready for monster...

figured it was an appropriate time to get in gear and finish up that baby to-do list. on tuesday, dave finished some things that were pressing at work and that evening we went out for round 1. we picked up the pail for the diaper service, stocked up on kitty products so we dont have to worry about running out for that stuff when monster is new, got a few things at zellers (baby bath soap, butt wipes, D-drops, etc.), and we set up the playard/crib.

on friday we did round 2. during the day i went out and bought some baby friendly detergent, and some other odds-n-ends at the Nurtured store. later that evening we went and did 6 loads of laundry. three loads of baby-exclusive stuff (items from the shower, items we had picked up, items that have been sent to us). thankfully it took less than 2 hours, but we were moving the whole time: switching clothes around, tending to dryers, folding, packing...luckily, we had grabbed a tasty and filling dinner at "janes next door."

the sandwiches were great and reasonably priced, the mexican bean side salad was yummy, and the desserts we picked out were amazing! dave had the gluten-free brownie which tasted like smooth fudge (but not overly sweet) and i couldnt resist the lemon bar. SO delicious. they make frozen dinners too which we may hit up for quick prep stuff once monster comes...

then saturday, round 3. started in the morning with a trip to "whats for supper." first heard about these kind of places when we lived in ann arbor, its a business that has a rotating monthly menu of meals that you can come in and pre-make during a session. typically you have to make a bulk amount of meals, here they like to get you in for 12 meals (that serve 4-6 adults), but we paid the "splitting" fee and only signed up for a 6 meal session. anyway, the idea being that we prep these high-quality dinners and store them in the freezer for post-monster arrival. i couldnt believe some of the post-partum tips i was reading..."stock up on take-out menus, you wont want to cook in the days shortly after you come home with baby." uuuuummmm, but you DO realize that stuffing your face with pizza and chinese food is probably not going to give you the proper energy you need to adjust to your new baby-life...plus, im sure all that take-out food will do wonders for your post-baby figure...

after the session, we needed to get the food back home and in the freezer. on the way back, we stopped for lunch. with our on-going desire to try out new places we chose "caribbean twist." this is a jamaican place that we had read about and hoped would be as tasty and flavorful as people were saying. indeed. the place looks like a convenience store with tables which actually fits perfectly with the non-pretentious food. we stepped up to the counter and grabbed a menu. there were so many options that i couldnt decide and blurted out "jerk chicken platter" before i really thought about what i was saying. dave asked for the guy behind the counters favorite dish and ordered that, "curry chicken." we sat down and waited for our food and i began to worry that maybe i should have contemplated things longer.

soon though, our plates arrived and worries were laid to rest. so much food for so cheap. our spiced chicken came with a pile of rice and beans and cabbage. normally i dont go near cabbage, but i thought i would today. it was really good! and the mild starchy beans and rice were the helpful compliment to the ZING of the chicken. my jerk chicken was HOT!!! but still really flavorful. and daves curry was perfect: more on the flavor, less on the heat side of things, but still warm. we traded some pieces of chicken and basically scraped our plates clean. we were so impressed we wanted dessert. got the banana cream pie. apparently they order it special from toronto, and boy was it good. great crust, yummy banana pudding/custard and a layer of caramel pudding/custard as well. topped with whipped cream. perfect for soothing the throat after all that spice. we had big smiles on our faces as we went to pay. the place is staffed by all men, and they do actually seem to be caribbean (not sure if they are all jamaican) and they seem very proud of their food, and very happy to share it with people who enjoy it. i so want to go back (plus, i didnt even get heartburn!).

after our happy lunch and pit stop at home to drop off the food, we launched ourselves over the harbour into the consumer-land of dartmouth. the babies r us at the mall was our mission. we came away with a mattress pad and some bed sheets before we strangled anyone. we also picked up two card games to play at home in case we get stir crazy. i had never played "mille bornes" before, but dave remembered enjoying it from childhood so that was his choice, and my choice was a card game version of cranium. then we tooled around picking up a few other odds-n-ends, including batteries to make monsters musical and vibrating bed work. oh boy.

finally sunday. round 4. dave installed the car seat. kind of. the car seat is big, our car is not huge. we need to get a towel or something to make it sit level in its spot. and, even when we do that, the poor person sitting in front of the car seat has no option to recline their chair or enjoy large amounts of leg room. sacrifices, sacrifices...

currently living in helsinki, finland

this blog is about life since leaving michigan. my husband and i left our home state in 2008 for jobs, travel, and adventure. together we've lived in ann arbor for 9 years, france for 9 months, halifax for 3.5 years, and we've now lived in finland for 2.5 years. our daughter (X) joined us in 2010, and our son (Y) joined us in 2014, so they are now part of the adventure...